Please review the chart for some frequently asked questions.
What is important to you | Granite | Marble | Quartzite | Onyx | Slate | Soapstone, Limestone or Travertine | Engineered Stone or Quartz |
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Hardness – MOHS Scale (10 = hard and 1 = soft) | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
Stain Resistance – Wine Spill, Vegetables, Juices etc. | High | Low | High | Medium | Medium | Low | High |
Chip Resistant | High | Medium | High | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Cutting/Scratch Resistant | High | Medium | High | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Ease of Cleaning | High | High | High | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Seam Visibility | Discuss with your fabricator. Typically the more consistent the pattern the less likely you are to notice the seams. |
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Cutting/Scratch Resistant | High | Medium | High | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Ongoing Maintenance – Sealing | Low | High | Low | Medium | High | High | Low |
Cost | Low-Medium | Low-High | Medium-High | High | Low | Low-Medium | Medium-High |
Thickness 2cm or 3cm | Both | Both | Both | 2cm | Both | Both | 3cm |
Origin of Product | Canada, Brazil | Italy, Spain | Brazil | Brazil, Italy | Brazil | Brazil, Portugal, Italy | Italy, India |
Functionality – Kitchen | High | Medium | High | Low | Low | Low | High |
Functionality – Bathroom | Medium | High | High | High | Low | Low | High |
Boldness of Colour | Medium-High | Medium-High | Medium-High | Medium-High | Low | Low | Low-Medium |
Types of Finish Polished – smooth and shiny Honed – matte without reflection Satin – flat finish |
Polished, Honed, Satin | Polished, Honed | Polished, Honed, Satin | Polished | Natural Cleft Honed | Honed, Satin |